Red alert - 1 { 168 images } Created 14 Mar 2023
These photographs of China's environmental crisis were taken between 1993 and 2008, in a time when it was still relatively possible as a foreign documentary photographer to move around and document what was happening in China, in terms of society and its suffering environment – and these photographs are drawn from many journeys through diverse regions and situations. This would not be possible now. The environmental situation, has only worsened since, with environmental concerns subject to other priorities of continuing growth, and retaining the Communist Party’s power over the country and its people.
Today China is the world’s largest source of pollution, the world’s largest user of coal, producing 60% of its energy demands, with CO2 emissions representing 33% of the world’s total. Pollution is estimated to cause 1.2 million premature deaths a year. 90% of land water is thought to be contaminated, with consequences for food and drinking water, and thought to cause over 100,000 deaths a year. China is largest producer of plastics in the world – much of it exported, but still 20% of the world’s plastics are consumed in the country, and feed into its water system.
Economic growth, consumerism, industrial production, all feed into this critical situation, where civil society is limited, and direct opposition to the Communist Party’s policies is often brutally repressed. Hope of change seems limited. This series is a record – partial only - of the situations on the ground that led to the present crisis, that the present regime would deny.
Today China is the world’s largest source of pollution, the world’s largest user of coal, producing 60% of its energy demands, with CO2 emissions representing 33% of the world’s total. Pollution is estimated to cause 1.2 million premature deaths a year. 90% of land water is thought to be contaminated, with consequences for food and drinking water, and thought to cause over 100,000 deaths a year. China is largest producer of plastics in the world – much of it exported, but still 20% of the world’s plastics are consumed in the country, and feed into its water system.
Economic growth, consumerism, industrial production, all feed into this critical situation, where civil society is limited, and direct opposition to the Communist Party’s policies is often brutally repressed. Hope of change seems limited. This series is a record – partial only - of the situations on the ground that led to the present crisis, that the present regime would deny.
